unpicked
unpicked Lexical Profile
unpicked Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Not gathered, plucked, or harvested from a plant or tree (especially of fruit, flowers, or crops).
"By late autumn, the unpicked apples had fallen to the orchard floor."
Not chosen or selected from a group.
"The few unpicked players waited patiently on the bench for the next round."
Having had the stitches undone or removed (of a seam, hem, or garment).
"She left the unpicked hem pinned on the sewing table overnight."
• verb
To undo the sewing or stitches of (a seam, hem, or piece of fabric); past tense and past participle of unpick.
"The tailor carefully unpicked the tight seams so the jacket could be let out."
British To analyze or examine (a complex system, argument, or problem) carefully in order to understand its separate parts or flaws; past tense and past participle of unpick.
"During the seminar, the historians unpicked the competing theories behind the treaty's collapse."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'unpicked' carries two distinct senses derived from different prefixes: as a pure adjective ('un-' meaning 'not' + 'picked'), it describes something not chosen or not harvested; as the past tense and participle of the verb 'unpick' ('un-' denoting reversal), it means having had its stitches undone or having been carefully analyzed.